Hay-rake and gathering-machine



(No M0de1.) 3 Sheets-Sl1eet l A. L. COURTRIGHT.

HAY RAKE AND GATHERING MACHINE.

No. 365,118. Patented June 21,1887..

/ X482 [Ill 75.5555.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. L. OOURTRIGHT.

HAY RAKE AND GATHERING MACHINE.

No. 365,118. Patented June 21, 1887.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

A. L. OOURTRIGHT.

HAY HAKH AND GATHERING MACHINE.

No. 365,118. Patented JllIlOZl, 1887.

0C. 55 a. w? M N PEYERS. Pholb-lilhqnnhnn'walhingtm IJZC UNITED STATES PATENT Trice.

ARCHIBALD L. COURTRIGHT, OF MOUNT I'IAMILL, IOWA.

HAY-RAKE AND GATHERING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,118, dated June 21, 1887.

Application filed May '24, 1886. Serial No. 103,084. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known'that I, AROHIBALD L. COURT- RIGHT, of Mount Hamill, in the county of Lee and State ofIowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hay-Rakes and Gathering-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact dc script-ion of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in hay-rakes and gathcring-machines; and it consists in, first, the combination of the elbow-bearings, which are journaled upon the extensions formed by the rear ends of two of the teeth, the axle, which is secured in the elbows, the lever connected to the axle, the connecting-rods, and the roller or wheel, which is located under the rear portion ofthe rake; second, the arrangement and combination of parts, which will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to move the axle upon which the d riving-wheels are placed and the roller which is placed under the rear end of the rake simultaneously, and thus raise or lower the rear end of the rake, and to lock the moving parts in position at the will of the driver.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a rake embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a rear view. Fig. -t is a perspective of a roller and its attachments, which are located under the rear end of the rake. Fig. 5 is a front view of the rake.

A represents the rake, which has two of its teeth E made to extend backward a suitable distance beyond the rear cross-bar, B, for the purpose of forming bearings for the elbows 0. Upon the extensions formed by the two teeth E are secured the boxes I), in which the journals of the elbows C have their bearing.

In the lower ends of the elbows G are formed suitable bearings, through which the small ends of the axle G pass. These reduced ends of the axle G are secured in the elbows in any suitable manner, so that the axle has no movement of its own, but must always move with the elbows O. Placed upon the axle, between its shoulders and the loops, are the two wheels H, which support the rear end of the rake, and which revolve freely as the machine is moved either forward or back by the horses. Rigid! y secured to this axle G is the lever I, which extends any suitable distance upward, and which moves back and forth between the frame-work or bracket J. In this bracket or frame-work are cut suitable notches, K, in which the catch L, pivoted upon the front side of the lever I, is made to catch, for the purpose of locking the lever in a vertical po sition. lVhen the lever is in a vertical posi tion, the elbows have their lower ends depressed to the lowest possible point, and hence the wheels H are forced downward, so as to raise the rear end of the rake upward to its greatest height. The catch L is operated by the connecting-rod N and the angular lever O. This lever is pivot-ed upon the front side of the lever I, and the connecting-rod extends from the lower end of the lever O to one end of the catch. When it is desired to move the lover I forward for the purpose of raising the wheels and axle, and thus lower the rear end of the rake, the lever 0 must be operated so as to loosen the catch L from the notches K. The angular lever O is here shown as provided with a handle; but the particular construction of the parts used in operating the catch L is immaterial, for this consists in nothing more than a lever and a connecting-rod. The driver takes hold of the lever I and the handle of the lever O at the same time, and for this reason the handle of the lever 0 extends up by the side of the lover I.

Pivoted on the side of the lever I, above the framework or bracket J, is the connecting rod P, which has connected to its inner end a second connecting-rod, O. The rod P has projecting from its side a small stop, R, and the rod Q has a corresponding shoulder upon its upper end, so as to catch against this stop R, thus regulating the distance the inner ends of the rods P Q shall move downward. The lower or front end of the rod Q is pivoted to a lever, S, which is pivoted upon an upright, T, which rises from the central cross-bar, U, upon the top of the rear end of the rake. The lever S is provided with a series of holes through its upper end, so that the connecting point of the rod Q, can be changed at will, and thus vary the distance that the lever S ICC shall be moved when the lever Iis moved forward. Connected to the lower end of the lever S is a connecting-rod, V, which has aserics of holes made through it, so that it can be adjusted at'will at its upper end, and which rod has looselyfastened to its lower end the flat lever W. Journaled upon this lever N is the roller X, which runs upon the ground, and which is always moved simultaneously in the same direction with the driving-wheels H. This wheel, being located under the rear end of'the rake, helps to support this end, and is therefore made to move with the wheels H. IVhen the wheels H are raised so as to lower the rear end of the rake, the roller X is lowered at the same time.

The drivers seat Y is placed along side of the bracket J, and the driving-reins pass through the support Z, which is placed upon the cross-bar U, for the purpose of preventing the lines from dropping too far downward where they separate. Secured to opposite ends of the cross-bar U are the draftbars A, uponlwhich are pivoted the connecting-rods B. To these front ends of the rods B are connected the thills, between which thehorses work, these thills being pivoted upon the front ends of the connecting-rods.

The horses can be reversed freely at the will of the driver, soas to draw the rake either forward or back, as may be desired. While the horses are drawing the rake for-w. rd, the lever I may be moved forward, so as to lower the rear end of the rake, and thus enable the bay to be forced upon thelrake with the least possible expenditure of power. \Vhen vthe horses are reversed. and the rake is to be drawn backward, the lever is raised in a vertical position, so as to raise the rear end of the rake upward, and then the rake can be pulled from under the hay with the greatest possible ease.

The supports for the elbows are here shown as formed upon therear ends of two raketeeth; but this construction is not necessary.

These support-s may be formed independently of the teeth or. constructed in any way that may be preferred.

Having thus described my invention, I claim a 1. The combination ofthe axle,the operatinglever I, connected thereto, the supportingwheels H, placed upon the axle, and the el.-

bows G placed outside of the wheels and rigidly connected to the axle at their inner ends, and having their outer ends journaled in the bearings D, with the operating mechanism connected to the lover I, substantially as shown,

for operating the roller which is placed under the fork, and a suitable locking mechanism for holding the operating-lever I in a raised position, substantially as set forth.

2. The cdmbination of the cranked axle, the wheels H, placed thereon, the elbows O, rigidly connected to the axle at their inner ends and having their outer ends journaledin the bearings D, the lever I, connected to the axle at its lower end, the frame J, extending up around the lever and provided with suitable recesses or catches, the'latch L, connected to the lever, and a mechanism for operating it, the connecting-rods P Q, connected to the lever I, the lever S, the connecting-rod V, spring W, and roller X, substantially as set forth.'

In testimony whereof Iaflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AROHIBALD L. COURTRIGHT.

vVitnesses:

' J OHN SoHRoEDER,

O. J. MONTANDOR. 

